16 of My Favorite Watercolor Lessons!

Hi, friends! 

Since I recently shared a tips and tricks video on all things watercolor paint, I thought I'd dive in with my very favorite watercolor lessons of all time. I have 16 of 'em just for you but before we get to those...I thought I'd share some of my all things watercolor.

Let's start with PAPER! If you'd like to check out the blog post on paper, visit here.

Now let's talk supplies! You can find my list of supplies right here.

For ALL of my watercolorin' tips and tricks, check out this video here!

If one of the things your students struggle with is BRUSH CONTROL (or just not abusing those poor paintbrushes!), might I recommend my Paintbrush Ballerina method? You can kick things off with my book The Paintbrush Ballerina and then dive into my free downloads!

First, I recommend using these (totally free) downloads. Slide them into sheet protectors and allow students to practice their brush control with just water. I'll show you what I mean and share the downloads here.

Once complete, students can 'graduate' to painting with watercolor paint in these fancy frames...and even earn a Paintbrush Pro certificate! Those downloads are here.

Now let's get to those lessons!

In my Tips and Tricks video, I share that one of my favorite things to do is create customized watercolor trays. I like to have a warm and a cool tray on hand as that allows my students to explore with watercolor paint without the messy/muddy paintings. Warm and cool colors are analogous which means that they not only sit next to each other on the color wheel but...they also look great when mixed! 

For this second grade lesson, students had to decide which they wanted to use: warm or cool. Then we traced a circle and created this sunset or sunrise scene.

Once dry, we created these silhouettes with India ink. You can find the lesson details here!

And see how we wrapped up the lesson here. Aren't they so pretty?!

Here's an oldie from over 10 years ago but LOOOOK how pretty! This is a similar process to painting the background with an exploration of Ming vases. Details here.

This one might be my favorite!

Another example of my students using the customized watercolor trays is this kindergarten rainbow lesson!

If you'd like to see my introducing watercolor paint to my kindergarten friends, visit here!

Now this lesson is usually one I do with tempera cakes BUT you could also do it with watercolor paint. It's the perfect rainbow follow up lesson for kindergarten (or any grade!). Lesson here!

So precious, I would frame it!

For another rainbow lesson, check this one out!

Now I never did a blog post on what we did with those rainbows but...I do have the evidence! I did this lesson EVERY YEAR (which is wild I never blogged about it) and they always made me so happy. We created the sun and cloud images and added them later. We used blue chalk to add color to the sky before we added the cloud and the sun.

Exploring abstract painting is always fun...especially when you can tie it in with the combo of crayons or oil pastels and watercolor. They always look so fab together! This could also be a super fun LINE review. Which seems like the perfect time to reread my book Larry the Line! Find this lesson here.

What do you do with the abstract paintings? Well, you could just admire their beauty OR...use them for weaving! Details on first grade paper weaving here!

Now I don't think I ever created a lesson on this one (my googling turned up empty handed) but what we did with the weavings was create these fun houses! To do this, we painted with tempera on a large sheet of paper a sky and the ground. Once dry, we cut out a house silhouette and glued it over our weavings. Early finishers had fun learning how to do a little bit of stitching!

Here's a spin on pattern making and resist! My first graders created these and you can find out how here. 

I love this lesson for learning how to do a fun wet-on-wet technique. In the video, I'll walk your artists through the process and they will love the magic! 

Once dry, students can use permanent markers to create floral designs on the watercolor paint. Find the lesson and the free download right here!

One of my VERY favorite things to do is create these texture cards for use with oil pastels and watercolor. I've created several vidoes on how to create these but...it's so easy! Just use tag board and glue to draw some line designs. I used the line ideas I created in Larry the Line.

To create them quickly, I cut a ton of those little cards and laid them all on a table before attacking them with lines drawn by my glue gun. Then my kindergarten friends used oil pastels to create texture rubbings!

From there, they painted over the texture rubbings with watercolor before using ink filled bingo daubers to add an alphabet. This lesson is always a hit! Also...those texture cards will last FOREVER. I made one set and used it for over 10 years! Lesson details here.

This lesson was created for a sub to use and the kids LOVED it! This one comes with a video and a free download. You can find it here!

The download is actually here! I just love this lesson so much!

Check out this fun one! This could be the next step in the house lesson  where your artists create little pop up houses. The most fun was in created the patterned background. Lesson details here.

Okay, so I didn't realize I had a thing for house lessons! The little road was my favorite part of this project. Find the lesson details and video here.

I love a lesson that ties in a couple of concepts. This one explores LINE (featuring Larry!) as well as the wet-on-wet watercolor technique. You can find the full lesson here.

I love a fun and funky art project and this one, which is also a shape review, is just that. You can find the video lesson here. 

Another shape lesson is this one! Both of these lessons are based on my book Alfred the Ape Knows his Shapes!

All Things Watercolor in the Elementary Art Room

Hey, friends! 

I don't know about you...but when The Countdown to Summer begins, I often start thinking about my life choices...aka How I Wanna Do this Art Teacherin' Thing Differently Next Year. Anyone else? So it's with that in mind that I thought I'd share with you my FAVORITE watercolor tips and tricks for the elementary art room. Here ya go:

These tips and tricks come straight from me having MANY moments in my art room where I saw something that made my left eye twitch and I paused to think:

What the heck did I just see?

AND who are these kids' art teacher cuz she needs to do SOMETHING. 

And that's when I realize...oh yeah. It me.

Now I've chatted MANY times about watercolor before. Having seen so much in my 25 years in the art room, I was always trying something new. So I can assure you, these are my sure-fire wins. 

As far as supplies goes, I have my list of favorite things right here, just for you! Now, like I mention in the video, I do work with Prang so that's why my supply list is Prang heavy. HOWEVER...they are also the only brand on the market that sells refills! And sells those empty trays (which I pushed hard for! So I hope you love 'em!) so...there's that.

Now I will be coming at you later this week with my very favorite watercolor art lessons. Watercolor is the perfect thing this time of year: it's low mess/low stress and everyone loves it! That is...if you give these tips and tricks a try.

And if you're still in the mood to fine tune your art teacherin' world, might I recommend this book? Last summer, I sold out! Which I think is because...summer is when everyone starts thinking about ways to improve their upcoming school year. 

ALSO...did you know that if you and your friends do a book study of my book, you can reach out to me for a zoom chat? Yep! I've done many with school districts and it's always a blast! I'm at cassieart75@gmail.com.

Happy May, friends!

Let's Create a Ladybug Print and Collage!

Hey, friends! 

A couple of years ago, I shared a kindergarten lesson on creating symmetrical butterflies. It was always such a hit with the kids and each looked stunning! 

Right?! Did I mention this was kindergarten?! AND first grade, because sometimes, for my sanity, I do the same lesson with multiple grades. Here's the lesson video:

I decided to take the same process and create a couple of lessons with different bugs. Today, I'm sharing a ladybug collage print:

Now...recently I was attending the art teacherin' conference in Missouri and was chatting with some teachers. They were commiserating on just how hard it is to share with students how to use scissors and glue bottles properly. With that in mind, I decided to extend this lesson from just printing a ladybug but to also using our scissors and glue. AND...I included portions of my book in the video!

Everything that I wanted to teach children about using scissors and glue...IS IN THIS BOOK! Check out the book, take a look at the inside and even watch videos about using this book in your art room right here!

In the ladybug video, I read portions of the book, sharing these illustrations to better help young artists understand how to correctly use their scissors and...

Apply their glue! Kids really love this book because...it features Larry the Line and Alfred the Ape (who knows his shapes!).

There's also a line review included in the video...you may notice me using a spinner. You can find that spinner (one for each couple of students or maybe one-two per table works great) and my other fave supplies for this lesson here. 

OR...you could just keep it simple and do bug prints!

I keep thinking that a huge display of bug prints would be perfect for "We're Buggin' Out for Spring" or...state testing...or...the end of the school year?! Who knows! Regardless, I hope y'all have fun!

Clay Projects for Middle and High School: A Ceramic My Favorite Things Box!

Hey, friends! 

A while back, I created this ceramic box in my clay class at the Clay Lady Campus. I have since adapted the making of the box to include the use of a template to make the whole process much easier. I thought I'd share the process and the template with you in case this a project you might like to do with your middle and/or high school students!

Before diving into clay with your students, you may want to offer them a bit of a crash course in clay. I created this video a couple of years ago...and I have heard from so many art teachers that it is a staple in their clay unit (which makes me so happy to hear!). Not only that...but this clay video buys you time! You'll have time to prep clay, refill those water cups or just take a sip of coffee while it's actually still warm. Cheers!

If you are new to clay and are looking for some supply recommendations, I got you. What I primarily used in my art room were clay mats (purchased from The Clay Lady; I had a set of 20 that I used for the 25 years of my teaching career...BUT you can only use them on the white side, NOT the blue), toothbrushes, cups for water and wooden skewers. For my supply list, visit here!

For the first version of this box, I made a rectangle which is totally doable. But, in the video, I decided to go with a square. The smaller size made it easier to flatten the clay in the method that I used. 

To make your life a little easier, I thought I'd create a template for you. You may need to print this on thicker paper or trace it to tagboard so it can withstand the damp clay and multiple uses.

Tap here for the free download!

Now, when I created my piece, I added these kiln fire safe 'hangers' to the back. I placed two into my clay piece before firing. They are made to withstand the heat of the kiln and will anchor themselves into the clay when fired. Then, after the firing, I have added wire to the back to hang the piece. However, they could totally be made to sit on a shelf as well!

Here is the piece that I created in the video. I know I mention it in the clip but...it is VERY important that these pieces dry slowly and on foam. For the first few days, I would dry keep these in a plastic grocery bag that is a little open to allow a small amount of air to circulate. Then, I would dry them for a few days on a foam block (or sheet rock, found at the hardware store) with plastic draped on top. Finally, I would remove the plastic and allow to dry on the foam. You'll know it's ready to go in the kiln when...you hold the piece to your cheek and it is not longer cool but room temp. Then you can fire away!

No kiln? No problem! Here's a piece I created with DAS clay, a fabulous air dry clay!

As for painting these, I truly think it's so much easier to dip them into a base color like I did with the brown paint. Glaze is expensive, it involves multiple firings...and it's hard to get into all of the knooks and crannies. So...why not try this method? I did it a lot with the projects in my art room. Especially our clay tacos!

Here's my finished piece! Have SO MANY ideas for this project so stay tuned! For now...I just wanted to share this super fun lesson with you and your artists!

Still want some clay help? I got you! I have TONS of my clay tips and tricks here!

Have fun!